Dionna Gray's rise emblematic of Kent State women stepping up and onto March Madness stage

KENT — All 14 players on the Kent State University women's basketball roster signed a whiteboard in the team's locker room at the M.A.C. Center.

The preseason signatures represented a pact because they were added under a mission statement about winning the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship.

“We've been manifesting it. We've been speaking it into existence,” Golden Flashes sophomore guard Dionna Gray said Tuesday after practice.

Kent State achieved its goal last weekend by seizing the MAC tourney crown, but not even the players whose autographs adorn the whiteboard could have envisioned the twists and turns their journey to KSU's first NCAA Tournament berth since 2002 would include.

Fifteenth-seeded Kent State (21-10) will visit second-seeded Notre Dame (26-6) in the first round of March Madness at 2:15 p.m. Saturday in South Bend, Indiana.

Gray's ascent after starting point guard Corynne Hauser suffered a season-ending knee injury on Feb. 7 against Western Michigan is emblematic of how Kent State has received invaluable contributions from several players who have been summoned to fill more prominent roles.

Of the five Golden Flashes who logged the most minutes last season, four of them didn't return this season. The only one who did is redshirt senior guard Katie Shumate, an All-MAC First Team and the MAC All-Defensive Team selection.

“The underwritten story is how much talent and minutes played we lost last year,” KSU coach Todd Starkey said. “To be in this situation and be even further advanced is pretty amazing.”

How Dionna Gray aided Kent State women's basketball in winning the MAC Tournament title and advancing to March Madness

The loss of Hauser only strengthens Starkey's point. Hauser ranked sixth on last season's team in minutes played and started 25 of 32 games as a freshman. This season, she started all 20 games in which she appeared and averaged 9.8 points, 4.2 assists and 3.6 rebounds until injury interfered.

"It was a big blow at first [to lose Hauser], but I think Dionna has done an amazing job of filling her shoes,” KSU junior forward Jenna Batsch said. “I really don't think there was much decline at all.

"Obviously, we miss Corynne. She's a great player, but I'm super proud of Dionna. Give a ton of credit to her."

Gray took the point-guard torch and has started 11 of her 30 games this season. She's averaging 4.7 points, 2.7 assists and 2.4 rebounds, but her production soared Saturday during No. 3 Kent State's 78-60 win over No. 4 Buffalo in the MAC Tournament title game.

After KSU trailed by four points at halftime, Gray provided a boost by making all three 3-pointers she attempted in the third quarter. The second one gave the Golden Flashes a 38-37 lead with 8:04 left in the third quarter, and they never fell behind again. Gray shot 5 of 8 from the field (4 of 6 on 3-pointers) and finished with 14 points, all in the second half. She also compiled four assists, two steals and a rebound.

“Often there's a lot of people in our crowd and our donors telling me that I'm the spark and I need to be the spark and keep the energy flowing,” Gray said. “We went into halftime, and, obviously, I wasn't really proud of the way I'd started the game. And I look over at my seniors — Abby [Ogle], Katie [Shumate], Mik[ala Morris] — and I saw the look on their faces. We were still confident in the game, but I'm, like, 'I have to do something different. I need to do something different to change this game.'”

Dionna Gray says 'I lost myself a little bit' while transitioning from Gatorade West Virginia Player of the Year to Kent State University

A native of Huntington, West Virginia, and the daughter of former Marshall University men's point guard Chris Gray, Dionna Gray caught fire at the perfect time.

“It was emotional for me because it's a kid who's worked really hard and struggled some her freshman year,” Starkey said. “She wanted to play more. She was Gatorade Player of the Year in West Virginia her senior year. To go from that to not playing your freshman year much [can be difficult].”

Gray's sacrifices and work ethic allowed her to capitalize on her opportunity and reestablish confidence.

“I was the best [high school] player in West Virginia, and then I stepped into college,” Gray said. “The game was a lot faster. It was a lot different. So I think I lost myself a little bit, but I'm starting to gain back the player I was.”

Gray explained her transition to the starting lineup has been aided by the support of Hauser. They're close friends and roommates.

“She's a little different style of player,” Starkey said of Gray, “and so us as a coaching staff had to kind of figure out what that's going to look like, and then it was her job to do and she did it. The team had to make some adjustments, but our transition game has gotten considerably better because she's so fast with the ball in her hands.

“So we've tried to make those adjustments. It has been incremental, but it's been incremental in a positive way, and everything seemed to kind of come together, especially in the semifinals and finals of the [MAC] Tournament.”

Notre Dame phenom Hannah Hidalgo is among 'the top four or five players in the nation,' Kent State coach Todd Starkey says

Gray's test in the big dance will be on another level, though. Notre Dame freshman guard Hannah Hidalgo is the ACC's Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. She averages 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 4.6 steals.

Gray explained Kent State is emphasizing the importance of backing each other on defense in an effort to keep Hidalgo out of the lane. On the other end the floor, Gray said KSU must protect the ball because Hidalgo leads the country in steals.

“It's exciting to be able to get to do this and be able to show who we are against these top All-Americans,” Gray added.

Starkey said he considers Hidalgo “one of the top four or five players in the nation” because “she affects the game in every statistical category.”

Another vastly improved KSU player: 'Definitely didn't expect this': Kent State basketball's Jenna Batsch makes most of opportunity

But Gray doesn't expect elite competition in the NCAA Tournament to catch Kent State by surprise. KSU lost to two March Madness teams earlier this season, defending national champion LSU and Florida State, so the caliber of Notre Dame's talent isn't a foreign concept.

“This team has had a glimpse of what that'll look like,” Gray said, “so I think we're prepared for that moment.”

Gray's readiness for her moment has helped Kent State return to a stage it hasn't graced in 22 years.

Meet Kent State basketball's top player: Katie Shumate's final stretch with KSU women's team is filled with 'relentless passion'

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Dionna Gray helps Kent State women's basketball reach March Madness